DC Update: Biden’s FY23 Budget Proposal & the Great Lakes
2022-03-31
Note: This blog is part of a periodic series of updates from Don Jodrey, the Alliance’s Director of Federal Government Relations, with his view on Great Lakes policy from Washington, DC.
Last year Congress and the Biden Administration delivered on historic investments in water programs which brought significant funding to the Great Lakes region. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) included nearly $50 billion in water infrastructure funding, $1 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and $226 million for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project to halt the spread of invasive carp.
Last year’s achievements are a tough act to follow. The FY 2023 President’s Budget, the first step in the federal government budget process, was released earlier this week by the White House. While it supports increased funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overall and specifically increases funding for the agency’s environmental justice efforts, the budget falls short in some respects.
Although the FY 2023 President’s Budget proposes some modest additional investments in water infrastructure, it fails to take up the invitation extended by the IIJA which provided for significantly increased authorization levels for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs). The higher authorization – which is a top threshold for program funding – was necessary to address the significant backlog of water infrastructure needs nationwide. Instead, the budget proposes maintaining the SRFs at $3.7 billion, which is the same level that Congress appropriated last year. It proposes modest increases of $22 million for the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Program ($182 million total) and $46 million for community grants for environmental injustice ($140 million total). Both are important programs but we know that much more is needed to fix failing and outdated sewer and water infrastructure.
For the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the budget proposes $340 million, which is an $8 million decrease from the FY 2022 enacted level and well short of the program’s authorized level of $400 million.
The FY 2023 President’s Budget is a starting point as we turn our attention to working with Congress to secure funds that will protect the Great Lakes.
The post DC Update: Biden’s FY23 Budget Proposal & the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
News - Alliance for the Great Lakes
https://greatlakes.org/2022/03/dc-update-bidens-fy23-budget-proposal-and-the-great-lakes/
Small portions: Michigan puts PFAS advisory on Lake Superior rainbow smelt
2022-03-31
By Kelly House, Bridge Michigan
The Great Lakes News Collaborative includes Bridge Michigan; Circle of Blue; Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television; and Michigan Radio, Michigan’s NPR News Leader; who work together to bring audiences news and information about the impact of climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure on the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/pfas-advisory-lake-superior-rainbow-smelt/
DNR issues expansion permit for Kewaunee County factory farm
2022-03-31
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced March 25 it will issue a permit that will make it harder for a Kewaunee County factory farm accused of contaminating drinking water to expand.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the permit caps the number of cows at the Kinnard Farms facility at about 8,000 head, the number of cows the farm currently houses.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/dnr-issues-expansion-permit-for-kewaunee-county-factory-farm/
Winter Weather Advisory issued March 31 at 9:34AM CDT until March 31 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-31
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT TODAY... * WHAT...Snow. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...Portions of east central and northeast Wisconsin. * WHEN...Until noon CDT today.
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9A7B0E8.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.ab1769d9217b4e6f8039daf8c684225a
Winter Weather Advisory issued March 31 at 6:48AM CDT until March 31 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-31
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT TODAY... * WHAT...Snow. Additional snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and northeast Wisconsin. * WHEN...Until Noon CDT today. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9A74130.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d
Winter Weather Advisory issued March 31 at 3:06AM CDT until March 31 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-31
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT TODAY... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation changing to snow. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. Minor ice and sleet accumulations, except around a tenth of an inch of ice over Door County. Winds gusting to 30 to 40 mph. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and northeast Wisconsin.
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9A6BB98.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d
DNR keeps people guessing on social media
2022-03-31
After a four-year hiatus, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has revived its popular Facebook series “IdentiFriday.” IdentiFriday asks participants to guess the species of a plant or animal based on a small portion of a picture each Friday. The correct answer is then posted with the full photo later in the day.
The post DNR keeps people guessing on social media first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/31/dnr-keeps-people-guessing-on-social-media/
Winter Weather Advisory issued March 30 at 9:56PM CDT until March 31 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-31
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations up to two inches and ice accumulations around a light glaze. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and northeast Wisconsin.
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9A5E4C0.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d
The pandemic that closed the U.S./Canadian border to people may have opened it to the invasive sea lamprey
2022-03-30
This article was republished here with permission from Great Lakes Echo.
By Danielle James, Great Lakes Echo
Great Lakes invasive species cling to shipments and navigate canals to migrate, but one aquatic invader – sea lamprey – benefitted from border closures instead.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/border-opened-invasive-sea-lamprey/
Winter Weather Advisory issued March 30 at 2:12PM CDT until March 31 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-30
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Rain changing to freezing rain and sleet, and then snow. The snow could be moderate or heavy at times Thursday morning. Total snow accumulations of two to four inches and ice accumulations around a light glaze. Winds gusting as high as 35
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9992960.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d
Michigan Legislature approves $4.8B infrastructure plan
2022-03-30
By David Eggert, Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan lawmakers approved $4.8 billion in spending March 24, mostly for infrastructure upgrades, with an influx of federal pandemic and other funds that will go toward water systems, roads, parks and other priorities including affordable housing.
The huge supplemental budget plan, which Gov.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/ap-michigan-legislature-approves-infrastructure-plan/
Great Lakes Commission releases new video highlighting habitat restoration at Powderhorn Lake near Chicago
2022-03-30
News
Great Lakes Commission releases new video highlighting habitat restoration at Powderhorn Lake near Chicago
Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) today released a video highlighting work to restore wetlands and reduce flooding at Powderhorn Lake near Chicago. The video shows how a collaborative effort between local, state, regional and federal organizations is restoring more than 100 acres of wetlands, connecting the lake to its northern neighbor, Wolf Lake, and ultimately Lake Michigan.
Powderhorn Lake is part of one of the few remaining examples of the dune and swale topography – sandy ridges interspersed with water pockets – that once characterized the Calumet Region along the south shore of Lake Michigan. The area is home to 100 bird species, 250 plant species and 2,500 insect species. In addition to reconnecting water flow to Lake Michigan, this project will allow fish passage between the lakes, install water control structures to help prevent future community flooding, and increase hemi-marsh habitat. This work aligns with the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative objective of protecting and restoring communities of native aquatic and terrestrial species important to the Great Lakes.
“The Great Lakes Commission is excited to showcase the collaboration among dedicated partners focused on improving Powderhorn Lake and its surrounding community, the region, and the Great Lakes,” said GLC Chair Todd Ambs, of Wisconsin. “We are proud to coordinate regional partnerships to restore and protect habitat, remediate degraded areas, and ensure resiliency to climate change across the basin.”
A team including Audubon Great Lakes, Forest Preserves of Cook County, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and engineers Hey & Associates, Inc. are collaborating with the GLC and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on this project.
For more information on the Powderhorn habitat reconnection project, visit www.glc.org/work/priorityareas/powderhorn.
The Great Lakes Commission, led by chair Todd L. Ambs, deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (retired), is a binational government agency established in 1955 to protect the Great Lakes and the economies and ecosystems they support. Its membership includes leaders from the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces in the Great Lakes basin. The GLC recommends policies and practices to balance the use, development, and conservation of the water resources of the Great Lakes and brings the region together to work on issues that no single community, state, province, or nation can tackle alone. Learn more at www.glc.org.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/news/powderhorn-033022
NC CASC Webinar: Tools for Developing Reproducible Climate Futures for Resource Planning
2022-03-30
News | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
News | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
https://toolkit.climate.gov/news/nc-casc-webinar-tools-developing-reproducible-climate-futures-resource-planning
Winter Weather Advisory issued March 30 at 12:01PM CDT until March 31 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-30
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Rain will change to freezing rain and sleet, and then to snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Snow accumulations of two to four inches are expected and a small ice accumulation. Winds could gust to 35 mph.
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E998D6F4.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d
Surf and Slide: The Great Lakes Now Episode Quiz
2022-03-30
Great Lakes Now tries to make every episode interesting and educational.
In “Surf and Slide,” GLN Host Ward Detwiler learns ice boating from one of the best in the world – right in southeast Michigan. Follow along with the all-women surfing group Lake Surfistas as they strive to make lake surfing more welcoming and stay warm in winter waves.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/surf-and-slide-episode-quiz/
Winter Weather Advisory issued March 30 at 11:46AM CDT until March 31 at 12:00PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-30
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO NOON CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Rain will change to freezing rain and sleet, and then snow. The snow could be heavy at times Thursday morning. Total snow accumulations of two to four inches and a small ice accumulation is expected. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E998C178.WinterWeatherAdvisory.1263E9A818D0WI.GRBWSWGRB.b6f6acd46ce65c27f5c4fac96900737d
Biden’s nearly $6T budget aims to bolster EVs, Great Lakes and PFAS cleanup
2022-03-30
President Joe Biden’s proposed $5.8 trillion budget calls for $340 million in funding for the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and at least $300 million for electrifying the federal fleet, as well as $126 million to combat PFAS contamination. Read the full story by The Detroit News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-budget
Officials sign off on water-quality project in Mark Township
2022-03-30
Ohio’s Defiance County soil and water conservation office, the City of Defiance, and the Great Lakes Commission, with property owners Mike and Michelle Zeedyk, signed an agreement for an experimental water quality project that aims to reduce nutrient loading into the Maumee River. Read the full story by The Crescent-News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-nutrient-loading
Area legislators in D.C. propose new ‘Great Lakes Authority’
2022-03-30
A group of U.S. representatives from throughout the Great Lakes region has signed on to a bill, recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, aiming to create a new entity dedicated to developing the area’s communities and conserving its vital natural resources. Read the full story by the Fremont News Messenger.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-great-lakes-authority
Army Corps of Engineers awards contract for Little Sodus Bay pier repairs
2022-03-30
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $3.3 million dollar contract to a Rochester firm to make repairs to the west pier at Little Sodus Bay in Fair Haven in Cayuga County, New York. The repairs will ensure that boaters have safe passage between Little Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario, and the rest of the Great Lakes. Read the full story by FingerLakes1.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-pier-repair
Stoney Creek beach’s water quality questioned
2022-03-30
The Ontario city of Stoney Creek will study whether it should classify a stretch of Lake Ontario shoreline between Green and Millen roads as a public beach and test the water for bacteria during the swimming season. Read the full story by The Hamilton Spectator.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-water-quality
Kewaunee receives grant to improve moorings for historic World War II tugboat
2022-03-30
The city of Kewaunee, Wisconsin, received a grant from the state’s Harbor Assistance Program to improve the moorings in its Harbor Park for the Tug Ludington, a World War II vessel that has been a popular tourist attraction in the city. Read the full story by the Green Bay Press Gazette.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-tugboat
Grand Haven renews efforts to clean up Harbor Island
2022-03-30
After a century of use for saw milling, 60 years as a municipal dump site, and 70 years as a coal-fired power plant, the city of Grand Haven, Michigan, is making a push to renew Harbor Island and restore it to productive use. Read the full story by the Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-harbor-island
Lake Erie-Niagara River Ice Boom to be removed
2022-03-30
According to the International Joint Commission, the Lake Erie-Niagara River Ice Boom, which helps reduce the amount of ice flowing into the Niagara River, will soon be removed for the season. Read the full story by WIVB-TV – Buffalo, NY.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-ice-boom
COMMENTARY: Excessive road salt use in Michigan is causing its fresh waters to embrace that ‘salt life’
2022-03-30
Salt deposited over the winter season is an inevitable part of road safety, but is the amount of salt too much? Fresh water resources in Michigan have a lot of salt in them, and scientific projections show that the water, and crowning Great Lakes waters, are indeed getting, and will continue to get, saltier. Read the full story by Jalopnik.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-road-salt
Oshawa’s Friends of Second Marsh wants to turn GM headquarters into wetlands research centre
2022-03-30
Friends of Second Marsh president Peter Taylor said his group’s vision is to re-purpose the old GM headquarters in Oshawa, Ontario, into a ‘Great Lakes Centre for education and research’. Read the full story by Insauga.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220330-friends-of-second-marsh
Special Weather Statement issued March 30 at 8:27AM CDT by NWS
2022-03-30
...SIGNIFICANT SNOW AND ICE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY... A low pressure system over Illinois is expected to rapidly intensify late tonight as it moves into northern Lower Michigan. It will bring rain changing to freezing rain, sleet and snow to the Fox valley and lakeshore areas after midnight tonight through midday Thursday. Travel could become difficult Thursday morning.
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E99844DC.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E998E248WI.GRBSPSGRB.54e5ef070b45e49081402cfe9ce09122
Special Weather Statement issued March 30 at 6:58AM CDT by NWS
2022-03-30
...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN THIS MORNING... Although temperatures have climbed above freezing across much of central and east central Wisconsin early this morning, freezing rain continued over north central and far northeast Wisconsin. Untreated secondary roads, bridges, on and off ramps, and overpasses will remain ice or sleet covered and slippery through
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E99802D8.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E9988870WI.GRBSPSGRB.3b77a733acfe35fc01f412b80021d336
Meat substitutes, greener fuel drive soybean demand
2022-03-30
With a worldwide increase in need for food and oil, the soybean industry shows no signs of slowing down. Expanding consumer interest in plant-based foods as popular substitutes for meat could create more opportunities.
The post Meat substitutes, greener fuel drive soybean demand first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/30/meat-substitutes-greener-fuel-drive-soybean-demand/
Special Weather Statement issued March 29 at 11:44PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-30
...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL STILL POSSIBLE IN EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN INTO THE EARLY MORNING... Although temperatures have climbed above freezing in east central Wisconsin, untreated secondary roads, bridges, on and off ramps and overpasses may still be sleet covered and slippery in spots. Conditions should improve as temperatures slowly rise overnight.
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E996EBF0.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E9977700WI.GRBSPSGRB.f78a67b308ead913b6602ecedbbe287d
Special Weather Statement issued March 29 at 9:43PM CDT by NWS
2022-03-30
...SLEET AT THE SURFACE UNDER THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST-CENTRAL WI THIS EVENING... An area of sleet is moving across central and east-central Wisconsin this evening accompanied by a period of rain and thunder. Areas affected by sleet and rain will see a deterioration of road conditions with slick conditions for the early overnight
Current Watches, Warnings and Advisories for Brown (WIC009) Wisconsin Issued by the National Weather Service
https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwacapget.php?x=WI1263E9969D6C.SpecialWeatherStatement.1263E996EC54WI.GRBSPSGRB.d65efe55088dd94d9c460efb2df919a6
Drinking Water News Roundup: Best tasting water in the world in Ohio, nation’s worst waterways in Indiana
2022-03-29
From lead pipes to PFAS, drinking water contamination is a major issue plaguing cities and towns all around the Great Lakes. Cleaning up contaminants and providing safe water to everyone is an ongoing public health struggle.
Keep up with drinking water-related developments in the Great Lakes area.
Click on the headline to read the full story:
Illinois:
- Gladstone warns residents of water nitrate levels, says infants younger than 6 months should not drink it—WQAD8
The Village of Gladstone is warning residents with infants younger than 6 months of high levels of nitrate in the town’s drinking water.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/drinking-water-news-roundup-best-tasting-water-ohio-worst-waterways-indiana/
Episode 2203: Sailing Close to the Winter Wind
2022-03-29
This lesson will explore the phenomenon of wind in the winter through the pastime of ice boating to learn about the science behind how winds are produced, sailboats move, and how wind can be a renewable source of energy. Learners will engage in design projects to build a wind-powered sail cart, anemometer, and windmill.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/2203-ice-boating-lesson-plan/
Biden Budget on Clean Water: Boost to Water Infrastructure, Cuts to Great Lakes Restoration
2022-03-29
Contact:
Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113
Jordan Lubetkin, Lubetkin@nwf.org, (734) 904-1589
Biden Budget on Clean Water: Boost to Water Infrastructure, Cuts to Great Lakes Restoration
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (March 29, 2022)—The Biden Administration’s proposed budget, released yesterday, cuts the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, boosts funding to reduce lead in drinking water, maintains funding for the nation’s primary water infrastructure loan programs, and increases the EPA’s budget to confront climate change and address environmental injustices.
“The Biden Administration’s proposed budget supports clean water priorities broadly, while coming up short in funding the nation’s marquee Great Lakes restoration program,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Federal investments to restore the Great Lakes and address pollution have been immensely important over the years. However, serious threats remain, and with many communities still grappling with health-threatening pollution, it’s important that the federal government do all that it can to ensure that every person has access to clean, safe and affordable water.
“The Biden Administration’s proposed budget provides a strong starting point for the U.S. House and Senate to discuss how best the country can meet its clean water goals. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition looks forward to working with members of Congress to make sure Great Lakes and clean water priorities receive the attention they deserve in the federal budget in order to protect our Great Lakes, drinking water, public health, and way of life.”
The Biden Administration’s budget contains:
- $11.9 billion for the U.S. EPA for fiscal year 2023. Congress funded the agency at $9.56 billion in the current fiscal year.
- $340.1 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Congress funded the GLRI at $348 in the current fiscal year.
- $1.64 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps communities fix and upgrade wastewater infrastructure. Congress funded the program at $1.64 billion in the current fiscal year.
- $1.13 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which helps communities fix and upgrade drinking water infrastructure. Congress funded the program at $1.13 billion in the current fiscal year.
- $140 million for grants to communities to confront environmental injustices. Congress funded the program at $94 million in the current fiscal year.
- $182 million for the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water program, which is an increase of more than $160 million over previously enacted.
Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 170 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.HealthyLakes.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthyLakes
The post Biden Budget on Clean Water: Boost to Water Infrastructure, Cuts to Great Lakes Restoration appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.
Healing Our Waters Coalition
https://healthylakes.org/biden-budget-on-clean-water-boost-to-water-infrastructure-cuts-to-great-lakes-restoration/
Harvard historian examines Detroit slavery link to Great Lakes geography
2022-03-29
A Harvard historian’s book about slavery in Detroit- - the last stop on the Underground Railroad – examines how that history was influenced by the region’s geography.
The post Harvard historian examines Detroit slavery link to Great Lakes geography first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.Great Lakes Echo
http://greatlakesecho.org/2022/03/29/harvard-historian-examines-detroit-slavery-link-to-great-lakes-geography/
Surfing the Great Lakes: Want to know where to start?
2022-03-28
Sunny weather, bikinis and board shorts, the salt spray of the ocean – surfing tends to conjure a very specific image in most people’s minds, and it’s on the ocean coasts, not the freshwater ones in the Midwest.
But to a small community around the Great Lakes region, surfing looks very different – featuring more full-body coverage and ice-cold weather.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/surfing-great-lakes-where-to-start/
Mapping the Great Lakes: Lighthouse search
2022-03-28
Love staring at a map and discovering something interesting? Then “Mapping the Great Lakes” is for you. It’s a monthly Great Lakes Now feature created by Alex B. Hill, a self-described “data nerd and anthropologist” who combines cartography, data, and analytics with storytelling and human experience.
Great Lakes Now
https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/03/mapping-great-lakes-lighthouses/
A River Knock
2022-03-28
A River Talk participant forms a wild rice knocker into shape during the March talk. Image credit: Michael Anderson
The River Talk for March was held as an evening in-person event during the 12th annual St. Louis River Summit at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
This particular talk required hands-on participation. Marne Kaeske, cultural preservation specialist with the 1854 Treaty Authority, led an activity where attendees constructed their own wild rice harvesting sticks, called, “Bawa’iganaakoog” in Ojibwe. Wild rice is a grass that can grow to reach 8 feet tall.
River Talkers use the wall to brace their work on wild rice knocking sticks. Image credit: Michael Anderson
Kaeske explained that she learned to make rice knockers from cedar because the wood is lightweight. Rice is harvested by two people. One paddles or push-poles the canoe through the wild rice (manoomin) beds found in wetlands while the other uses the sticks to bend the rice over the canoe, tapping the wild rice seeds into it. Hand-harvesting wild rice can be time-consuming, so the lighter the sticks, the less tired a ricer’s arms will get.
Different resource management agencies have different requirements for the length of wild rice sticks. Kaeske said current 1854 Treaty Authority Ceded Territory Code regulations call for “round, smooth cedar, no longer than 32-inch” sticks. In Wisconsin, they can be 38 inches.
One problem in efforts to preserve wild rice beds comes from people harvesting the rice too early. “We live by the clock and the calendar nowadays instead of by waiting and living on the rice lake until it’s time to rice,” Kaeske said. When people harvest the rice before it is mature, it lessens the good seed for the next year’s crop and can damage the plants.
“When you harvest wild rice, you’re also reseeding the lake,” Kaeske said. “Rice is an annual plant.”
Rice knockers aren’t something a person can buy in a store. Kaeske showed the audience how she learned to do it. After a short introduction, she offered the tools needed (measuring tape, planers and an ax) and let participants “go to town” on the wood she provided.
She explained that all the bark needs to be removed as well as any rotten wood. The sticks are usually tapered, larger where the hand grips and smaller on the ends.
By the end of the class, everyone had sticks to take home and they were ready for ricing season, which usually occurs in late summer or early fall.
The remaining River Talks for this season will be held April 13 and May 11. For more information, visit the River Talks page: go.wisc.edu/4uz720.
The post A River Knock first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant
https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/a-river-knock/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-river-knock
Great Lakes shipping season underway
2022-03-28
The 2022 commercial shipping season is underway after the opening of the Soo Locks at midnight March 25th. The Edgar B. Speer was the first freighter through the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie and was presented with a plaque to the ship’s captain and hat to each crew member. Read the full story by WPBN-TV – Traverse City, MI.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-shipping-opens
New York releases plan to prevent round goby from entering Lake Champlain
2022-03-28
New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation and the Canal Corporation published a plan to prevent the round goby’s spread, but members of the Nature Conservancy in Vermont say more may be needed. Read the full story by VTDigger.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-goby-invasive
Plovers quarrel: a tiny, endangered bird returns to Sauble Beach to find sunbathers dug into the sand
2022-03-28
Fined $100,000 for destroying piping plover habitat, the Town of South Bruce Peninsula is in court arguing over just what an Ontario beach should be. Read the full story by The Narwhal.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-plover
Benton Harbor lead pipe replacement underway
2022-03-28
Crews are hard at work replacing the lead water lines to get clean water to residents in Benton Harbor, MI. According to an online dashboard, 679 lines have been replaced so far out of the 3,700 expected over the next year. Read the full story by WBND-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-lead
Benton Harbor lead pipe replacement underway
2022-03-28
Crews are hard at work replacing the lead water lines to get clean water to residents in Benton Harbor, MI. According to an online dashboard, 679 lines have been replaced so far out of the 3,700 expected over the next year. Read the full story by WBND-TV – South Bend, IN.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-lead
WNY Land Conservancy gets nearly $2.7 million for watershed, native plant projects
2022-03-28
The Western New York Land Conservancy has received a $2 million grant to protect forested watersheds and safeguard drinking water in Allegany County and another to supply native plantings to Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park. Read the full story by The Buffalo News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-restoration
‘Their story deserves to be told’: The Great Lakes Shipwreck Society tells history through shipwrecks
2022-03-28
For the last 40 years, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has sought to teach the people of Michigan the history of the lakes that surround them. Read the full story by The Sault News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-shipwrecks
Sinking Lake Superior tugboat leaking oil into Duluth Harbor
2022-03-28
The privately-owned retired U.S. Army Corps tugboat Lake Superior began listing at its slip in Duluth Harbor and over the course of a weekend the stern of the vessel was underwater. The saga of the Lake Superior continues, with the U.S. Coast Guard discovering the tugboat is now leaking oil. Read the full story by Bring Me The News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-duluth
Scientists see more than fish in Great Lakes
2022-03-28
Researchers at Central Michigan and others are studying long-term trends in the Great Lakes and connecting waterways in winter, trying to document the impacts of climate change and nutrient pollution. Read the full story by The Eagle-Herald.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-fish-climate
Smelt netters will have expanded access to the Milwaukee Port this spring after voicing concerns over an existing ordinance
2022-03-28
Smelt fishers will be able to tend their nets until midnight this spring in a traditional Milwaukee harbor spot, according to a plan announced last week by Port Milwaukee officials. Read the full story by Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-fish
Over 800 bald eagle nests found in Ohio
2022-03-28
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported 806 known bald eagle nests throughout the state, marking a 14% increase from 2020. Read the full story by Spectrum News.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-ohio
South Haven removing erosion protection barriers from beach
2022-03-28
For the past two years, an 800-foot line of large, barrel-shaped green barriers have lined South Beach to prevent erosion along Lake Michigan in South Haven, MI. Considered as a must for saving the beach, but an eyesore by others, the HESCO barriers are going away in a decision citing lower water levels on Lake Michigan. Read the full story by South Haven Tribune.
Great Lakes Commission
https://www.glc.org/dailynews/20220328-lake-levels